Home Office

Introducing a Police Covenant for England and Wales

baroness williams of trafford: My rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Priti Patel) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement:Our outstanding police deserve the upmost respect, support and recognition. Brave officers put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe, demonstrating remarkable courage, sacrifice and public duty. They face extraordinary pressure as they protect the people they tirelessly serve from terrorists, serious violence and exploitation. Their families too often fear for their safety or are left to pick up the pieces when something goes wrong. From day one, this Government has put our world-class police first and prioritised their wellbeing. That’s why we have committed to introducing a Police Covenant in England and Wales to recognise the exceptional job our frontline officers do in unique and challenging circumstances. We are determined to give our officers the enhanced support they need, so I have accelerated work on this pledge to protect both them and their loved ones. Our commitment to ensuring our police have the recognition they deserve is absolute, so this Covenant will be enshrined in law. This will leave no room for doubt, creating a statutory duty to do more to support our police. Police officers and staff are uniquely placed to tell me what they need, so I am today launching a public consultation on what the Police Covenant should look like. This sets out our proposals to help the police in three key areas, to improve their wellbeing, increase their physical protection, and support their families. We are asking for thoughts on our plans for the principle and scope of the Police Covenant and for any new ideas to be considered as at is developed. The consultation will be available on GOV.UK ( here ) and will be open for eight weeks. A copy of the consultation will also be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. I would urge anyone connected with policing, or who has ideas on how to protect our brave officers, to respond. Our outstanding police officers embody public service and do not hesitate to run towards danger to keep us safe. Nothing is more important that ensuring they have the support, protection and recognition that they need to do their extraordinary job. This consultation will explore how the Covenant can best deliver that. I thank Members for their continued engagement on this important issue.


This statement has also been made in the House of Commons: 
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Cabinet Office

Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy

baroness evans of bowes park: My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister has made the following statement:Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign PolicyToday the Government is setting out its approach to the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy.The Government has set in train the biggest review of our foreign, defence, security and development policy since the end of the Cold War. We need to grasp the opportunities of the next decade and deliver upon the Government's priorities. This is a defining moment in how the UK relates to the rest of the world and we want to take this unique opportunity to reassess our priorities and our approach to delivering them.The Integrated Review will:i) Define the Government's ambition for the UK's role in the world and the long-term strategic aims for our national security and foreign policy.ii) Set out the way in which the UK will be a problem-solving and burden-sharing nation, examining how we work more effectively with our allies.iii) Determine the capabilities we need for the next decade and beyond to pursue our objectives and address the risks and threats we face.iv) Identify the necessary reforms to Government systems and structures to achieve these goals.v) Outline a clear approach to implementation over the next decade and set out how we will evaluate delivery of our aims.The Review will be underpinned by the commitments the Government has already made to continue to exceed the NATO target of spending 2% of GDP on Defence, to commit 0.7% of GNI to international development and to maintain the nuclear deterrent.A cross-Whitehall team in the Cabinet Secretariat, and a small taskforce in No10, will report to me and the National Security Council. The review will be closely aligned with this year's Comprehensive Spending Review but will also look beyond it. The Government will consult with experts beyond Whitehall - in the UK and among our allies - in order to ensure the best possible outcome and to build a strong platform for the decade ahead. We will keep Parliament fully informed during the process as we deliver a review that is in the best interests of the British people across the United Kingdom.